If I could afford one, I'd buy it like a shot. It has failed only because, like the Skoda, the badge snobs turn their noses up at it because it does not have the same level of Kudos attached to it, it is still a very good and competent car.

So are you really saying saying, that if I put £75,000 in cash in your hand and told you to go out and buy a new luxury saloon, you'd come back with a Phaeton? If so, again you'd be in a very small minority, irrespective of the badge, the Phaeton is just not good enough now to compete.

There are plenty of examples where very good cars have succeeded despite their badge/brand perception. The fact is the Phaeton is not one of them. It wasn't quite good enough when launched, and now 11 yrs on it is no where near good enough to compete with S class, 7 series etc. It's constant commercial failure is not just down to badge snobbery.

I'm not denying that it's shocking depreciation makes it a used car bargain, but that's not what VW set out to achieve. JC may have liked the car at launch, but you'd have a different opinion if you asked his view on a Phaeton today.

i am in the republic of ireland .................... over here is seems to be Toyota's are the most common, 

 

Oh, they love their Toyota's! My father is from County Cork, and most of my cousins still live there. Yes, you'll see a lot of Toyotas, but you are quite right in saying they have really taken to Skoda as well. Eire used to be a good market for VW - my suspicion is that a lot of folks who were VW drivers are going for Skoda. Brendan O'Carroll ('Mrs. Brown') is on his second Superb Combi. In this video interview for Australian television, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTx3-PSN4hg   from 02:55, you'll see him driving the journalist around in his first one. He is now on a 2013 Combi (in white).

Peoples perception of success is linked to the car they drive which is one of the reasons why BMW, Audi and Mercs are so common. If you link this to how drivers are typically allowed to choose their car within a certain budget it's easy to see why they choose one of these rather than a Skoda. I think the tax liabilities for the business user don't help either, though that may improve with the Octy III so on a like for like basis Skoda must sell a higher percentage of their cars to private buyers than their competitors?

Either way skoda have an uphill task in the uk with the business world, which is probably compounded for the Superb, even though customer surveys from which etc put it at the top of its class.

 

Totally agree - our company car list comprises the following brands - VW, Seat, Audi, Skoda and BMW. Alot of my colleagues (of the same grade) all drive either 3 Series, Passat or A4, and they are all relatively basic/lower spec because they want the "badge". In fact one of my colleagues told me that he wanted a Skoda but the wife wouldn't want it on the drive. Keeping up with the Jones'? I'm the only one with a Superb and when it first arrived everyone loved it, commented on how smart it looked etc, and they still do.

 

The tax liabilities are very much a stumbling block and I suspect that the Superb would have taken a much greater slice of the market with more economic engines, however the introduction of the 1.6CR will have improved things. I suspect that is why my colleagues went for the 1.6 VW and BMW models. At least it does appear that Skoda are beginning to see some of the more economical engines come through the range now, the equivalent 140CR engine is now approx 16% better on CO g/km (down from 143 to 119)

 

 

Yes the Superb could do with being wider - in fact you would struggle to get 3 people across the back seats which I find strange for such a big car (length). The boot is great, and whilst the rear legroom is fantastic it is probably slightly OTT. Cabin quality is fine and as expected on a car of this value. Whilst I do think that the Superb is a good car, I don't consider it a great car - having driven a Jag XF recently and also an E-Class, these (IMO) take the quality and build to the next level.

So are you really saying saying, that if I put £75,000 in cash in your hand and told you to go out and buy a new luxury saloon, you'd come back with a Phaeton? If so, again you'd be in a very small minority, irrespective of the badge, the Phaeton is just not good enough now to compete.

There are plenty of examples where very good cars have succeeded despite their badge/brand perception. The fact is the Phaeton is not one of them. It wasn't quite good enough when launched, and now 11 yrs on it is no where near good enough to compete with S class, 7 series etc. It's constant commercial failure is not just down to badge snobbery.

I'm not denying that it's shocking depreciation makes it a used car bargain, but that's not what VW set out to achieve. JC may have liked the car at launch, but you'd have a different opinion if you asked his view on a Phaeton today.

The Phaeton is basically a Bentley with a different body shell and a far lower price tag to boot. The fact that it is largely ignored is something to be applauded as it means that it attracts very little attention and as such you can take it anywhere and leave it knowing that when you return to it, it should be as you left it. With so many other cars you have to be extremely careful about where you park it or else you're likely to return and find that some jealous person has been kind enough to key the paint work or something similar for you.

 

I'm not the kind of person who has to have the badge, or else I wouldn't be driving a Skoda would I? I couldn't give a fig what other people think about my car, its all about what it does for me when I sit in it. Is a nice place to be, does it drive nice, rides smoothly etc., because that is after all where I will be spending most of my time, not sitting around looking at the exterior or the badge but enjoying its creature comforts.

 

Having said that it is almost a Bentley under the skin, would you accept that a Bentley is highly desirable car? If so what is wrong with taking the Phaeton at around half the price and enjoying the same levels of luxury and powerful motoring, laughing all the way to the bank and smug in the knowledge that you can take it and leave it anywhere without being fearful that somebody does something to it? people just see it as yet another VW and that in my eyes is a massive bonus.  

Oh, they love their Toyota's! My father is from County Cork, and most of my cousins still live there. Yes, you'll see a lot of Toyotas, but you are quite right in saying they have really taken to Skoda as well. Eire used to be a good market for VW - my suspicion is that a lot of folks who were VW drivers are going for Skoda. Brendan O'Carroll ('Mrs. Brown') is on his second Superb Combi. In this video interview for Australian television, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTx3-PSN4hg   from 02:55, you'll see him driving the journalist around in his first one. He is now on a 2013 Combi (in white).yes i know mrs brown drives a superb!! love that, love the show and love the fact he owns a skoda, 

 

Having said that it is almost a Bentley under the skin, would you accept that a Bentley is highly desirable car? If so what is wrong with taking the Phaeton at around half the price and enjoying the same levels of luxury and powerful motoring, laughing all the way to the bank and smug in the knowledge that you can take it and leave it anywhere without being fearful that somebody does something to it? people just see it as yet another VW and that in my eyes is a massive bonus.

I think that's stretching its bit too far . Save for the platform, satnav, some switchgear, hevac etc there's not as much in common as you think.

What makes Bentley desirable is brand, design, bespoke interior, engine characteristics - none of which the Phaeton shares. As i said before, maybe it had some credibility when it had the W12 engine and drivetrain but that is long gone, now it gets the 3.0 diesel. Shared steel and some electrical gear doesn't make it almost a Bentley under the skin ;)

The Phaeton is more like a cheaper A8 than a cheaper Bentley, but without the lighter aluminium platform and bodywork of the A8.

I think that's stretching its bit too far . Save for the platform, satnav, some switchgear, hevac etc there's not as much in common as you think.

What makes Bentley desirable is brand, design, bespoke interior, engine characteristics - none of which the Phaeton shares. As i said before, maybe it had some credibility when it had the W12 engine and drivetrain but that is long gone, now it gets the 3.0 diesel. Shared steel and some electrical gear doesn't make it almost a Bentley under the skin ;)

The Phaeton is more like a cheaper A8 than a cheaper Bentley, but without the lighter aluminium platform and bodywork of the A8.

You do have a point, I forgot that they no longer make the W12 Phaeton, but I would still rather have a Phaeton then and Audi A8, the cabin has that special feel about, much the same as the Bentley has.

 

Also like I mention before, you could park the big VW in places where you would be fearful of parking the Audi or Bentley, so that's a major benefit and you still have all the creature comforts to boot as well.